My sister's betrothed had come? "Wonderful news!" I exclaimed, genuinely delighted by this surprising turn of events. "Please bring him in right away, Molly. And inform Mrs. Wallace. Mr. Talbot may need breakfast since he has arrived so early. He can't have had anything to eat this morning."

Though he and I had not found any common ground when we first met, he was just the man I wanted to see. If Philippa would not explain what had happened, surely he would. Maybe he could even convince her to return home and I would be free of her managing ways.

Beside me, however, Philippa's face had lost all color. "No, don't," she said, her tone horrified. "Tell him he is not welcome and send him on his way! Don't let him in the house."

Molly's eyes darted back and forth between us, her expression filled with uncertainty. "Sir?" she inquired, her voice tremulous.

Poor girl! I knew she was shy. It was difficult enough for her to go about her usual duties. Having unexpected visitors clearly made her even more anxious. "Take him to the library and we will join him there," I told her. "And then have Mrs. Wallace prepare a tea tray."

The maid nodded and left to carry out my instructions. "I will not speak to him," Philippa declared as soon as the door swung closed. "In fact, I will not even see him! You cannot make me!"

Her declaration didn't surprise me. "If you want to be rude, that is your choice," I told her. After her outburst, I hadn't expected her to accompany me to the library. The reason why she felt so strongly about it was still a mystery. "He came all this way to see you. And you thought you could be hostess for me? Really, Philippa. You hardly inspire confidence."

"If you were a caring brother, you would send him on his way or land him a facer," she added fiercely, ignoring my comments. "Make him regret that he dared to show his face here!"

"Philippa! I never would have imagined you could be so bloodthirsty. Why would I challenge him like that?" I might have been less than impressed with the man when I met him, but that didn't merit punching the man. "He hasn't done anything to offend me."

"But he has offended me!" she declared. "That is the main issue here. As my brother, it is your duty to protect my reputation! Show him that he should not offend a Bywood without there being consequences."

"As your brother, the only duty I have is to tell you that you are a bloodthirsty chit that can't be taken seriously," I said, standing up. "This is the first I am hearing of an offense. What happened between you?"

Once again, Philippa remained tight-lipped and refused to disclose any information. "Send him away!" was all she said. "Preferably with a black eye. He's not welcome here."

"Well, ‌I have no intention of giving him a black eye or threatening to fight him. Might I remind you that this is my house and I can determine who is and is not welcome?"

Philippa glowered at me and muttered something that it was probably better that I didn't hear.

Since she refused to give any explanation, I would speak to the only other person who knew what was going on. And if I had to be the means of reconciling my sister and her betrothed... Well, I wouldn't be pleased about it.

I stepped out of the dining room and saw Molly leaving the library. "He's waiting for you, sir," she informed me. She hesitated and then added in a low voice, "He looked disappointed that Miss Bywood didn't come to greet him."

"Thank you, Molly," I responded as I approached the door.

It was only natural for him to feel disappointed. Any man in his position would be concerned and upset upon learning that the woman he wanted to marry didn't want to see him. Even the most stoic of men would show some emotion by such news.

Mr. Bartholomew Talbot was pacing in front of the fireplace as I entered the room. He spun as soon as he heard the creak of the door. Disappointment flashed across his face. "Bywood," he greeted, offering a formal bow. "Thank you for seeing me. My apologies for arriving unannounced like this."

"Talbot," I responded, without the bow. I felt no need for formalities with him when he was to be my brother. "I'm afraid my sister is refusing to join us this morning."

"Ah. Yes. I suppose I ought to have expected that." The tall man cleared his throat, shifting from foot to foot. "I was hoping that after a few days, she would have calmed down and forgiven me."

Did he not have a sister who held a grudge, or were my own sisters the only ones who did that? Warily, I advanced into the room. "What does she need to forgive you for?" I asked, getting straight to the point.

A peculiar expression crossed his face. "Has she not told you?"

I couldn't help but laugh. "Sir, my sister has been reticent on many details since she arrived at my door yesterday. She only just told me that you offended her. I am completely in the dark about what this is all about."

He ran his hand through his sandy brown hair, a gesture I'd never seen from a man who had always presented himself as proper and formal. "She is well, though?" he asked anxiously. "She didn't come to any harm on her way here?"

Right. My letter to Father could not have made it to Bywood Hall in time to cause Talbot's sudden appearance here. I couldn't help but wonder if Philippa had left a note informing him of her whereabouts. If she did, perhaps there was a chance for them to reconcile.

"She was delighted with the journey, and seemed to enjoy every moment of it," I said honestly. "Though she was less enamored with the state of my home. I could have warned her about it if she had bothered to write ahead."

Some of the tension left him as he sighed. "While the Mail Coach is suitable for most travelers, it's not safe for a young lady to ride alone. She should have brought her maid if she was going to be so reckless."

I raised my hands. "I know that as well as anyone. It is Philippa who must be convinced of that fact. Sit down already and tell me what this is all about."

"There is not much to be told," he admitted as he sank onto one of the armchairs. Although it creaked under his weight, it did not collapse. Philippa had been the only other person to sit in it, so I was relieved to see it hold up. "I don't completely understand what went wrong."

"Well, it must have been serious if she came all this way to get away from you."

Talbot flinched, making me realize that I may have been too direct. "So, what exactly happened?" I asked, sitting across from him. "I've asked Philly—many times, in fact—but she refuses to explain anything. All I get are demands that I avenge her honor."

"Four days ago, we had dinner with one of your neighbors, the Larkins," Talbot told me. "Miss Bywood was eager to see them and hear all the news, since they had just returned from visiting family in the north."

The Larkins were an older couple whose four daughters had all married and left the area. Mrs. Larkin was frequently away, visiting and supporting her daughters with their families. Mr. Larkin never seemed to mind that his wife spent more time away than at home.

"They had one of their granddaughters, a Miss Everard, with them," Talbot continued. "Phillipa-Miss Bywood, I mean-was delighted to meet her, and they became loud during their conversation after dinner."

I could easily picture the scene. Philippa had a tendency to raise her voice when she was, and I had seen her with other young ladies. Fashion was one of her favorite topics, if I remembered correctly. Two lively young ladies together would have been almost deafening, especially in the confined space of a dinner table.

"I won't take you to task if you refer to my sister by her Christian name, you know," I told him honestly. "After all, you're engaged to be married."

The man's expression became crestfallen. "I regret to inform you that Miss Bywood has decided to call off our engagement."

"What on earth did Miss Everard say to make her do this?" I asked, incredulously.

"The young lady didn't say anything. I take full responsibility for what happened." He hesitated before he said, "It concerned me to hear how boisterous Philippa became. On our return to your father's house, I advised her to consider how her behavior might be perceived by others."

Flinching, I shook my head. Even I knew that such words, no matter how well-intentioned, were not ones a gentleman should say to a lady. "I take it she did not appreciate the reminder."

"She became angry with me." Talbot's tone was one of confusion. "She demanded to know why I thought I could dictate her behavior or control her actions. I wasn't trying to do any such thing. I just thought it would be appropriate to remind her that it is considered rude to overshadow a gathering. She and Miss Everard were exclaiming at such a level it was difficult for the rest of us to carry on a conversation."

Again, something I could believe and I would have been just as frustrated as he had been. "I remember my sisters sounding like that whenever one of them received a new frock," I commented.

"The next thing I know, Philippa is saying that I would never be happy married to a woman who was excited about life and ordered me to go back to London," Talbot said in a rush. "She wouldn't listen to anything I said."

"And where was my father in all this?" I asked curiously. It was hard to picture him sitting idly in a carriage, watching them argue. By rights, our father should have been the one to reprimand Philippa.

Talbot's cheeks flushed with color. "He'd fallen asleep, but I'm afraid our raised voices woke him," he admitted. "He tried to tell Philippa to calm down, but she wouldn't even listen to him!"

Philippa must have been truly furious to disregard Father. Growing up, she had always shown nothing but respect towards our parents, only exhibiting defiance as a young child. She accepted direction and counsel from them without balking or arguing. She'd reserved her displeasure for the privacy of her own room.

"I don't think there has ever been a situation where telling a lady to calm down ended well for the gentleman," I remarked, since he seemed to wait for me to say something.

"That may be true, but I didn't think it had upset Philippa anymore than she already was at the time. She said nothing for the rest of the journey to Bywood Hall. All she did was stare out the window."

Did he know my sister at all? Did he not have any sisters himself? I might not always understand Philippa, but even I knew that when a lady went from furious arguing to not saying anything at all, the situation was dire.

"Let me guess. Father told her to go to her room until she had time to think about the situation," I said, feeling the imminent return of my headache. Had my sister begun plotting her escape at that moment?

Talbot's expression was one of complete misery as he nodded. "She went up to her room without a word to either of us. I thought when I returned in the morning, she would be in a calmer frame of mind and we could discuss the matter like rational people."

"How long before anyone realized she was gone?"

"That afternoon." Talbot's expression shifted to one of regret and guilt. "Mr. Bywood said she was obviously thinking about what she had done, and not to concern myself by her absence. If I had insisted on seeing her, perhaps I might have been able to do something."

It wasn't difficult to imagine my father truly believing that's what Philippa was doing. What was unbelievable was that a maid hadn't gone into her room that morning. I wondered what Philippa had offered the maid in order to keep this information hidden from the rest of the staff.

"Mr. Bywood couldn't believe that Philippa had run away, but the note and her absence were undeniable evidence," Talbot continued. "He would have come himself, but he didn't want to leave your mother alone. Since this was my fault, I came instead."

"Philippa didn't tell me what she wrote in her note, only that she left one," I informed him. "Had she asked ahead of time, I would have advised her not to come. I am not in a position to host guests."

"Oh, no one assumed you had any knowledge of Philippa's plans," Talbot said swiftly, as though he meant to reassure me. "Once he had accepted the fact that Philippa had left without permission, your father said she had most likely acted impulsively."

At least I could know I wasn't being blamed for Philippa coming. But what should I do about her now? "Did you come with the intention of taking her back to Bywood Hall?" I asked.

Talbot shifted uneasily in his chair, causing it to creak loudly. "While I may have implied that I would to your father, I came to talk to Philippa. I refuse to believe that she really meant to break our engagement. If we could have a conversation, I am confident that we could resolve this matter."

"I applaud your determination, but I will warn you that Philippa seldom says what she doesn't mean. And as you've noticed, she is currently refusing to speak with you."

The man's shoulders dropped in defeat. "Then she is still angry with me."

"I would say furious is the more appropriate word. Your words, no matter how well-meaning, must have been quite tactless to evoke such a reaction from her!"

He narrowed his eyes at me, but then visibly deflated as he slumped in his seat. "I suppose I cannot argue with you." Heaving a sigh, he stood up. "I will return to Bywood Hall and inform your father that Philippa is unharmed and safe."

Alarmed, I leapt to my feet. "What? You cannot mean to just give up!"

"She refuses to see me. What point is there in staying? I left most of my luggage at the Ramseys. I cannot trespass on their hospitality any longer now that there is no reason for me to remain in the neighborhood."

He was giving up. Despite being miserable and clearly still in love with my sister, he was just going to walk away. Because she was still upset and letting her feelings guide her head.

And she was going to be left on my hands! Well, not if I had anything to do about it.

"I can see my first impression of you was correct," I said before I could think better of it. "Very well. Be on your way. I'm sure Philippa will be better off without you."

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Talbot demanded, his eyes flashing.

"When we met, I did not know what attracted you to my sister, and I can see that there was nothing serious to the attachment," I informed him, making my voice as smug as possible. "If you'd really had any fondness for her, you wouldn't let her go over such a ridiculous and trivial misunderstanding!"

His hands curled into tight fists. "You know nothing of my feelings for Philippa!"

"You might think it noble and good to let her have her way, but you're not even trying!" I said, preparing myself for a punch to the jaw. "The way it appears, you couldn't care less if you marry her or not!"

"If she hasn't forgiven me after four days, what hope do I have?"

How was I supposed to reason with someone who was determined to be pessimistic? "Once you realized that she had taken offense at your words, did you apologize to her?"

He paused, his mouth open. Astonishment lit his eyes. "I didn't think so," I said, shaking my head. "You and I don't know each other, but I assume you tried to explain why you were right in saying what you did."

"How else was she to understand my viewpoint?" he asked defensively.

"Any gentleman should know that when a lady is annoyed, let alone when she is angry, it is not the time to explain your viewpoint or the facts of a matter. You'll be wasting your breath because she will not listen."

It might have been my imagination, but it looked as though he were grinding his teeth. "How am I supposed to apologize now that she refuses to speak to me?"

"I suggest you give her some time." I added quickly, "But not abandon the field altogether. This spat sounds as though it happened quickly and without warning. I have to wonder if Philippa even knows how you feel about her."

"Why would she question my love for her? We were going to be married this fall."

Love. Out of all the topics to discuss, why did it have to be my sister's emotions? This had to be the most uncomfortable conversation I'd ever had with another gentleman.

"I'm no expert."

I considered giving him a pat on the shoulder, but since I didn't know Talbot well, I decided against it. If I'd been trying to advise a close friend, like Myles, I might have. "But you might think about the conversations you've had with my sister. How often do you talk about how she should improve herself?"

His jaw worked, but the color in his face shifted to something resembling a beet. "Right," I said, hoping he understood my point. "That's something for you to think about. In the meantime, you should prepare yourself for a hard task."

"Hard task?" he repeated, sounding more confused now. "What do you mean? What task?"

"You've gotten yourself into quite a tangle. Now, this is obviously none of my business and it doesn't matter to me if you marry my sister or not. I happen to know that she has been miserable since she came here and she keeps trying to pick a fight with me. Philippa seemed to be fond of you before, so I must assume that she won't be happy until you are betrothed once again. It seems it falls to me to put things right."

He stared at me. "How do you think you will manage that? She won't speak to me."

"Given that I have only been aware of the facts for less than an hour, I don't have a specific plan worked out." This time, I gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. "But I will think of one before the day is through."

Hopefully, I wouldn't come to regret that promise.